"New Identities"

In New Identities, main character Gavin wants to continue to live the peacefully life he has created for himself in Bolder, but that is threatened when Brad (a bully from his old school) transfers there. Not giving Brad the opportunity to ruin his life, Gavin starts a rumor about Brad being gay so his friend immediately exile him.

What I liked about the story is how is pulls your emotions back and forth. At first I was rooting for Gavin to get even with Brad but later on, I felt bad for Brad and was looking forward to seeing Gavin's change of heart. This was cleverly done because most of the time, we find ourselves pulling for the person who is depicted as the underdog all the way till the end. I liked that Lauren created a way for me to dislike Gavin momentarily.

I would like to see Brad's character developed a little more.
An area where I think should be considered for revision is when Brad first arrives at school. I would have liked to see Brad and Gavin interact. Perhaps Brad might try to make amends with Gavin since he is new at school and Gavin does not want to be his friend and announces out loud that Brad is gay. I say this because Brad and Gavin become friends at the end but the readers have no indication that Brad has changed from the bully he once was after moving to Bolder. I think it would make their friendship at the end make a little more sense. Perhaps make a scene out of the apology rather than just a summary.

As far as imagery, I think the "wooded area" where the accident might sound good if it was described. Maybe a few descriptions of the accident. Did that hit a lot of trees/forestry as they slid down the drop off? Did they just hit one large tree and the accident was over? On page 6 it says Tommy was killed on impact. Impact with what? Where was Tommy sitting in the vehicle? Was he up front with TJ? In the back with Gavin/Luke?

I found this story to be believable but not necessarily original. It's kind of like the "Teen Drinking and Driving/Peer Pressure" stories you hear in D.A.R.E. However, it is still a strong story.